WhatsApp to delete chat history of those who do not backup to Google Drive

WhatsApp backup on Google Drive will not be counted against cloud storage.

WhatsApp, the most popular social messaging platform, has confirmed that it will delete chat histories of those who have not backed up their stored data and chats on Google Drive. The messaging platform had first announced its plans to move data entirely to Google Drive earlier and on Monday, it confirmed that users who have not stored their history on Google Drive will lose all of their chat history.

Google and Facebook, the parent company of WhatsApp, reached an agreement last August, which allowed WhatsApp users to store their chat on Google Drive without the data being counted against cloud storage. At the time of the announcement, WhatsApp warned that any backups that had not been updated in over a year would also be automatically removed from the Google Drive storage.

The forceful switch from local backup to cloud backup via Google Drive will allow users to automatically restore their messages when they switch to a new Android smartphone. Android users can also update the copy of their Google Drive backup and configure the frequency of these automatic backups on the cloud as long as they have selected a personal account for Google Drive backup.

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WhatsApp and Google reached an agreement in August where the search giant confirmed that WhatsApp backups will not affect the user’s Google Drive storage. Google Drive offers total free storage of around 15GB, which also includes Gmail data and other Google apps. The ability to backup messages comes as a boon especially when you wish to switch devices or lose a smartphone and have to start using a new device.

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If you backup your WhatsApp messages, images and videos on Google Drive, it is important to know that it won’t be end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp’s encryption works only on its own messaging platform and not outside its system. However, Google Drive will ensure that your messages and images are safe even after you lose your device or upgrade to a new smartphone and seamlessly restore them.